Next week sees the opening concert in this term’s Lunchtime Concert series, a celebration of the music of Mozart with the Camerata, the Sirocco Ensemble, and pianists Sharon Yam and Susan Li.
The Sirocco Ensemble has been busy rehearsing Mozart’s Serenade no.12 in C minor, while the Camerata is preparing the ‘Andantino’ from the Concerto for Flute and Harp. Last night, the two soloists, Music Scholars Emma Murton and Kathryn Redgers, were warming up in the Hall beforehand…
In rehearsal: Emma Murton (l) and Kathryn Redgers
Also in the concert is a work for piano duet, the Adagio and Allegro in F minor, which will be played by Sharon and Susan, who also played a Mozart duet in the Scholars concert last term. This time, however, they’ll be playing on the Steinway…!
The concert starts at 1.10pm, and admission is free; come along and enjoy a feast of Mozart’s music; details online here.
Continuing the series profiling some of this year’s Music Scholars. This week, woodwind specialist, Victoria Lockwood.
From a very early age, music has always been an integral part of my life. Many of my summer holidays were spent in a tent at various folk festivals, watching my Dad perform with his folk bands. More recently I have begun to make guest appearances with them on stage at various venues, including the Cambridge, Sidmouth and Towersey Folk Festivals. I started having lessons on the clarinet in middle school and then also took up the alto saxophone in secondary school.
Reed all about it: Victoria Lockwood
I played in a variety of music groups throughout my time in middle and secondary school, from the school orchestra, clarinet group and jazz band, to the soul band, choir and chamber choir. This gave me plenty of opportunities to perform and I’d always find myself in more than one item in a single concert!
In 2010 I was persuaded by the head of music to play the school’s baritone saxophone in the school’s jazz band, which I really enjoyed and ended up playing it in several other groups as well. I was then asked to play ‘Reed 4’ along with teachers, students and professional musicians, in the orchestra for the school’s production of ‘West Side Story’. I had to play clarinet, bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, which ended up being a bit of a squeeze when we had to fit everyone in the pit! In 2012 I also played in the orchestra for the school’s production of Oklahoma. Whilst in sixth form I took A level music.
Outside of school I was actively involved with Milton Keynes Music Service for many years, where I played and performed with the Senior Wind Orchestra on 1st/solo clarinet and with Advanced Jazz on baritone saxophone. In the 2011 Gala Concert in Milton Keynes Theatre, I played the solo clarinet part in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
I have also participated in the Music Service tours to Lake Garda, Italy, and Paris, France, as part of the Wind Orchestra, Big Band and Choir. I travelled to Ghana in 2011 with a small group of students and teachers from MK Music Service to help teach students at a local music organisation, as well as giving concerts in a range of venues.
I love any opportunity to widen my musical experiences and brought back a Djembe from Ghana and also a Sitar from India, where I went as part of a school cultural exchange. Whilst in Ghana I had the opportunity to work with a local drumming group, which was incredible, but after a while it does feel like your hands are going to fall off!
Back home I play alto and baritone saxophone with a soul/funk band, which has given me a chance to write and arrange the horn parts. We have performed at a range of events, from pub gigs to New Year’s Eve, Birthday and Garden parties.
I’m currently playing clarinet in the UKC Symphony Orchestra, and Sirocco group, and alto saxophone in Concert Band, and Big Band. The musical opportunities at Kent have allowed me to experience a broad range of repertoire and I felt privileged to have performed a piece that had been commissioned especially for Concert Band. I really enjoyed playing in the Gala opening of the Colyer-Fergusson building last term and I am looking forward to the concerts coming up this term.
As I type, we’re listening to the second of this week’s ‘Watch This Space’ gigs, with some beautifully melancholic material from singer-songwriter, Sabiyha Rasheed.
Croydon-based Sabiyha is reading English and American Literature with Creative Writing, but is active musically on the London gig-circuit, and has also appeared on CSRfm’s Lounge Session on Sundays.
Keep an ear out, as I expect we’ll be hearing more from her in the future…
Over on the Big Band blog, On the Beat, we’ve an interview with Steph Richardson, singer with ths band this year, about her musical interests and rehearsing with the band in preparation for their concert next month (read more).
Image: sumbrealism.blogspot
Whilst on the choral blog, Cantus Firmus, the Chamber Choir has been exploring the narrow boundaries between sound and silence and practicing singing oh-so quielty, ahead of their Crypt Concert next week (read more).
And for all you saxophonists, there’s a review of a gig at Pizza Express from Radio 3 New Generation Artist Trish Clowes, a lyrical live set which is currently on iPlayer, which you can hear until Tuesday (read more).
President of this year’s Medway Music Society, Jack McDonnell, dishes the inside info on what’s been happening, and what’s to come, out West…
Jack McDonnell (centre) at the helm of the Medway Music Society Exec
Music Society are back with a bang in 2013 and have a plethora of auditory treats for your delectation in the coming weeks.
Last term we had great success with our events having launched our first ever weekend Socials and with Battle of the Bands raising over £125 for an array of charities including UMSA RaG and Kent Hitch.
We’re very pleased to say that we’ve successfully lobbied the University into securing professional leadership of the Big Band-esque ensemble “JAM” or Jazz at Medway (now lea by Peter Cook – Thursdays 5pm, The Galv) as well as the Universities at Medway Chamber Choir (now led by Sarah Dacey – Mondays 6pm, Medway Building) who have upcoming plans to become an UMSA Society in their own right. Both ensembles had a number of great performances last term, at Medway Law Group’s Annual Dinner and the UMSA Carol Concert in December. Our society memberships have smashed our peak from last year, and we’re well on target to break 100 members by the end of the year.
Music Soc’s infamous Tuesday nights in Coopers Bar continue this term with a unique mixture of old (band nights, open mic, rockaoke) and new (Music Soc vs Music Dept, Socials, Folk Night) over the coming weeks. To keep up with the news of these, upcoming executive elections as well as our contributions to the Asian Society’s Culture Shock, Diversity Celebration Fayre and the UMSA Summer Party join us online through…
If you’ve ever wondered what composer Benjamin Britten might have been listening to, as he took his post-prandial ‘composing walks’ around Aldeburgh in the afternoon, now you can find out.
Famed wildlife sound-recordist Chris Watson has spent a year following in the composer’s footsteps, armed with a microphone – a clip of his findings is available to listen to, in his article inThe Guardian earlier this week.
From birdsong to pealing church-bells, it’s an evocative exploration of the soundworld surrounding Britten’s daily walks through the Suffolk countryside – and all from the comfort of your own armchair.
Continuing the series profiing some of this year’s new University Music Scholars. This week, tuba-player Matt Baldwin.
Top brass: Matt Baldwin
I’m a tuba scholar studying Architecture at the University of Kent. I am 19 and from Derbyshire, where I attended John Port School in a small village called Etwall. There, I was a member of their Wind and Swing band that was set up by the Sixth Form students.
I started playing music 12 years ago, originally on the cornet, but after sixths months of struggling and a lot of bum notes later (!) I was persuaded to move onto the tuba where I had a lot more success, going on to play for many bands at a regional and county level. These bands include South Derbyshire Wind Band and Brass Band alongside Derbyshire City and County Wind Band and Orchestra. During my time playing music I have toured many European Countries and taken part in Regional and National Competitions across the country.
Currently, whilst studying at Kent I represent the University in the Concert Band and Orchestra. I am looking forward to the many concerts I have ahead; especially the opportunity to perform in Canterbury Cathedral.
